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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pass · wake · hide · pop · cap · object · patient · deal

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. pop — to visit
  4. wake — a trail
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. deal — to handle
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. cap — a lid
  10. object — an aim
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. object — a thing
  13. pop — soda
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. cap — of ice
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pop — music
  22. object — to protest
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. pass — a permit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com